That makes me sit up a little straighter because suddenly, it’s real. My stomach twists. Not now. Not when everythingwith Amy feels so fragile, like one wrong move might break us.
“Already?” I ask, my pulse ticking up.
“Is that a problem?”
I hesitate—because, yeah, it kind of is. I’ve got Amy back, barely settled into this new fragile us, and now they want to throw me headfirst into a global spotlight?
“No. Not exactly. Just… wasn’t sure we were there yet.”
Roberta shrugs, cool and unbothered. “You might not be, but we are. We’ve cast seventy-five percent of the first film. Joseph’s in creative mode—locked in, finalizing scripts, scouting locations.”
Creative mode. I know what that means. Gordon’s deep in the trenches, hyper-focused in that way only a brilliant, obsessive mind can be. It’s when he’s unstoppable—and when the magic happens.
I scrub a hand over my face. “What about Will? Has he been cast?” I drop my hand, fixing her with a steady stare. “It was one of my conditions.”
Roberta exhales sharply. “We’re… still discussing it. The studio’s pushing back. Honestly, Jake, we’re wondering if you’d reconsider for a bigger paych?—”
“No.” My voice is sharp and final. “Will gets the part. That was the deal.”
The man beside her, some suit I didn’t bother learning the name of, chimes in. “He’s unreliable. He delayedThe Last Soldierby two weeks. In our world, that’s millions.”
“He won’t delay anything,” I grit out. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“You know,” the guy presses, “not everyone deservesthat kind of unwavering loyalty. Some people? They drag you down.”
I stare at him, my jaw tight. What he doesn’t get is—without Will, I wouldn’t even be sitting here.
“I have something called integrity,” I say quietly. “Loyalty. I know you want those words plastered all over your movie promos—but I live by them. I don’t just turn that off when it’s inconvenient.”
Silence stretches, thick and tense.
Roberta sighs. “Fine. He’ll be Paladin.”
I nod once. Paladin—sarcastic sidekick, the comic relief. Minimal screen time, but honestly? I don’t give a damn. Will gets his shot, and that’s all that matters.
Tapping my fingers against my thigh, I fight the urge to check the time again. “So… isthatwhy I’m here? Because this could’ve been an email. And Landon should’ve told you—I rarely change my mind.”
The irritation leaks through, but I don’t care. I leftmy bedfor this. I could’ve stayed wrapped around Amy for another hour.
Roberta sighs like she expected it. “No.” She reaches into her bag and pulls out a slim folder—smaller than a script, but not by much. “It’s too early for the actual screenplay, but this…” She hands it over. “This is Valorion’s character arc and backstory.”
I flip through the pages with little interest. “You still could’ve emailed it.”
That earns a sharp laugh that sounds cold and amused. “Please. We don’t do digital. Too easy to hack. Joseph writes on a machine that’s never been connected to the internet.”She taps the bold number stamped on the top corner. “And this? That’s your unique watermark. If anything leaks, we’ll know exactly who to blame.”
I stare at the number, exhaling hard. “Christ… this is Pentagon-level paranoia.”
You’re getting paid a hundred and eighty million for this, so smile the fuck up.Landon’s voice echoes in my head, smug as hell.
Roberta smirks like she can hear it too. “Pentagon’s got nothing on us. Review it—if you’ve got concerns about Valorion or his backstory, let us know in the next two weeks. Joseph will… take it under advisement.”
I nod, rising to my feet. “I’ll protect it with my life.”
She gives me an approving smile, clearly missing the sarcasm. Amy wouldn’t have. She’d be grinning already, reading every ounce of bullshit on my face.
I glance at my watch. “Anything else?”
Roberta shakes her head. “No. We’re announcing the new Gordon era soon, but your name stays quiet until afterPersefiareleases.”
